Learned by Heart: From Verse to Object
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Recall your favorite childhood nursery rhyme. Passed from generation to generation, these familiar verses were shared with us by parents and grandparents, just as we share them with children today. Filled with fanciful characters, ridiculous situations, and memorable rhythms, they are often among the first things we learned by heart.
The exact origins of many Western nursery rhymes are unknown. Contemporary folklorists suggest that many drew upon popular European ballads, songbooks, folk songs, and stage productions, while others have roots in centuries-old oral traditions or early literature. While some verses were intended for children, including lullabies, counting rhymes, and singing or dancing games, others originated in the adult world of popular ballads, tavern songs, political jibes, historical tales, riddles, and religious beliefs. Over the centuries, these verses evolved and became increasingly associated with the young as the Age of Enlightenment (late 17th century–early 19th century) introduced the concept of childhood being a distinct stage of life, when a person could be shaped by nurturing, experience, and education.
This period witnessed a rise in literature written specifically for young audiences and, by the nineteenth century, growing scholarly interest in collecting and preserving oral traditions, including stories, songs, poems, and rhymes. In In the decades that followed, James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps published The Nursery Rhymes of England (1842) to document traditional English folklore and tales. While the book was not the first written record, it became an important early anthology, with a lasting impact on the preservation and study of children's literature.
Learned by Heart visually explores popular Western nursery rhymes, lullabies, riddles, amusements, tongue twisters, and singing games that shaped many of our childhoods. Objects from the Museum’s permanent collection are paired with familiar verses, inviting viewers to discover unexpected connections between art and poetic memory.
This exhibition is on view February 4–May 3, 2027 at the LSU Museum of Art.
